1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wastewater treatment systems, and particularly to a circular clarifier cleaning system that can clean and prevent the development of algae and solids accumulation on the surfaces of a circular clarifier in a wastewater treatment plant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Clarifiers are well known in the prior art for separating suspended solids from clarified liquids. Most clarifiers operate by sedimentation of solids, i.e., solids sink and are collected from a bottom portion of the clarification vessel, or by flotation, i.e., solids are caused to float and are removed as a flotation blanket from the surface of the clarification vessel.
In a typical conventional activated sludge sewage treatment process, a considerable volume of scum and other gross floatables enters with the influent feed into the clarifier basin. This is distinct from biological scum, which arises from biological processes occurring in the basin. In conventional clarifiers, the influent scum and other floatables are often moved out of the influent well to be collected along with biological scum over the entire clarifier surface or at the periphery of the clarifier. The two types of scum typically are commingled and discharged together, and where influent well scum and floatables are collected, they are delivered to the periphery of the clarifier and commingled with biological scum.
Most prior art clarifiers exhibit shortcomings in that they allow algae, sludge and scum accumulation on the surfaces of the baffles, weirs, launders, and troughs. This build-up leads to operator maintenance.
Circular clarifiers can exhibit significant process advantages, especially when built on a large scale (e.g., sixty feet in diameter or more). In circular clarifiers, beaches are typically deployed radially to provide a surface for floatable solids collection. Also, in circular clarifiers, the influent feed may be introduced from a central, inner portion of the clarifier, and effluent may be removed from the outer perimeter under relatively quiescent conditions. Nevertheless, the problem of algae buildup remains.
Thus, a circular clarifier cleaning system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.